May DVD Review: Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix
May’s Top Workout DVD: Jillian Michaels Kickbox FastFix
Best for: Intermediate exercisers looking to sweat away stress
(Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)
Why it’s a star: Having one of those days when you always seem to switch lanes in traffic as the other lane starts to move? Or perhaps you forgot your sports bra at home when you were planning a lunchtime gym run? Punch out your frustrations with kick-butt trainer Jillian Michaels, who leads you through three quick yet effective martial arts workouts that focus on upper-body, lower-body and abs, respectively. Jump from jab-cross-kick combos to lunge kicks to sit-ups to keep your heart rate high while sculpting from head to toe. As you know, Michaels doesn’t tolerate excuses, and there really aren’t any during this workout—you can even complete one while dinner is cooking!
Where to get it: $13, amazon.com
Find more new, calorie-burning kickboxing picks on page 22 of our June issue—on newsstands May 15!
Categories: Fitness, Motivation, Workouts | Tags: at home exercise, DVDs, Jillian Michaels, kickboxing, Workout DVD
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How You Can Dance Like a Pro With Kym Johnson
Learn to dance with Kym and Mark! (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Publicity)
We don’t know about you, but we’ve found ourselves tuning into this season’s Dancing With the Stars and wishing we could move as well as the pros, and even some of the contestants. We got the scoop from Kym Johnson about how she keeps dancing fun for her and her partners, her stay-healthy tips and how you can learn to salsa and shimmy while staying fit.
We’re sad to see you and Jaleel White go last week. Who do you think are the top competitors this season? Who do you enjoy watching?
I think Katherine and Mark are ones to watch and William and Cheryl are really good. There are a lot of great dancers this season, so it’s exciting.
How do you keep dancing fun, especially when you’re practicing for hours a day?
It’s always fun for me; it’s difficult to learn a dance in just four days but it’s fun. For the show, we dance for seven to eight hours a day. It’s hard on the body. We use a lot of Epsom salts for baths after.
There’s also the mental aspect of the competition, right?
You have to be a mentor and be motivational. These celebrities are out of their comfort zone. Everyone is different and you need to figure out how to get them to learn in their own way. When I see that my partner is getting frustrated, I usually do a five-minute break. I always give positive feedback first and then give a critique to help them learn.
Besides dancing, how do you stay in such great shape?
When the show’s on, all the practicing is more than enough of a workout. When the show’s not on, I do Pilates and Xtend Barre and just like to get outdoors in general.
Categories: Celebrity, Fitness, The Fit Stop, Weight Loss, Workouts | Tags: Dancing With the Stars, kym johnson, Workout DVD
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April DVD Review: Canyon Ranch Strong and Sculpted
(Photo courtesy of Acacia)
April’s Top Workout DVD: Canyon Ranch Strong & Sculpted
Best for: Beginner to intermediate exercisers who are looking for a good strength and stretch session.
Why it’s a star: No fancy dance skills or high-impact cardio moves are necessary during this DVD to challenge your muscles and get a great sweat going! During two of the three 20-minute segments, you’ll perform fluid multi-muscle group exercises with a pair of medium-weight dumbbells (like an alternating side lunge with a lateral raise). The payoff: You’ll keep your heart rate elevated to burn calories and add strength in a short amount of time. For the last segment, grab a mat for a relaxing yoga cooldown.
Where to get it: $17, acacialifestyle.com
More from FITNESS: Having trouble finding a workout DVD you love? Create your own with this free FITNESS tool!
Categories: Fitness, Motivation, The Fit Stop, Workouts | Tags: at home exercise, Canyon Ranch Strong & Sculpted, DVD, Strength Training, Workout DVD
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Fit Blogger We Love: Snack Girl
Lisa discovers nutritious packaged snacks and develops her own healthy recipes.
Whether you’re looking to discuss the latest nutrition-related news, find the latest supermarket snacks that won’t eat up your daily calorie budget or need a family-friendly recipe, Lisa from Snack Girl has you covered. She’s not afraid to cover the good, bad and ugly in the food world and shares plenty of smart snacking advice (we love her recent round-up of chocolate choices with Valentine’s Day coming up)! Keep reading to learn more about Lisa’s fitness goals and what she’s snacking on now.
My favorite way to work out: I like fitness DVDs because I am a mother of two small children and I’m always pressed for time. My favorites include Jillian Michaels DVDs and the New York City Ballet Workout. I have about seven different discs and I do just 15 to 20 minutes of one of them per day. Someday, I will get my gym membership back and do my favorite exercise, which is swimming.
On my fit life list: I want to become a better cross country skier. We have trails behind our house and I am always falling over. I would love to hike parts of the Appalachian trail and someday climb up to Machu Picchu.
I’m happiest when I’m: Reading my children a story at the end of the day. It is such a sweet time and I get to admire them at their quietest.
My biggest indulgence: Sitting in front of my fireplace (we have a wood stove) and knitting. If I get to sit there for 15 minutes without interruption, it is SO luxurious. Of course, the dishes and laundry are staring at me but I ignore them to have this precious moment of peace.
My fave fit snack: Since it is winter, I am really into root vegetables. I recently discovered parsnips and I love them. This recipe is super easy to make and tastes delicious.
Take advantage of seasonal produce for this roasted parsnips side.
Honey Mustard Parsnips
Serves 6
- 2 pounds parsnips
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon high-quality mustard
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and place rack in the upper third. Scrub parsnips in cold water. Do not peel. Cut into 1-inch chunks and place parsnips on rimmed baking sheet.
- Mix together vinegar, honey, and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour over parsnips and mix with the liquid to coat. Add salt and pepper.
- Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Put in a bowl, and toss with mustard. Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!
Nutrition information per serving: 157 calories, 3.2 g fat, 31.8 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g protein, 7.7 g fiber, 100 mg sodium, 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
Categories: Healthy Eating, Nutrition | Tags: fit blogger we love, healthy chocolate recipes, Snack Girl, vegetables, Workout DVD
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Win January Cover Girl Brooke Burke’s DVD!
Enter below for your chance to score a copy of Brooke's DVD!
1/23/12 EDITORS’ UPDATE: We’ve selected the five lucky winners and contacting them via email. Thank you for participating!
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By now you’ve checked out Brooke Burke’s interview and awesome workout in the January issue. Maybe you even asked her a question during our live Facebook chat! Well, we have one more goodie up our sleeve: We’re giving five lucky Fit Stop readers a copy of her DVD, Transform Your Body with Brooke Burke: Tone & Tighten!
To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below! It can be your name, you can leave a message for Brooke, tell us your favorite part of the interview…anything! The five winners will be chosen randomly and for official rules, click here.
Don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away! We monitor for spam, so be rest assured we’ve still received your entry, even if you don’t see it immediately.
Good luck!
Categories: Celebrity, Fitness, Health, Motivation, The Fit Stop, Weight Loss | Tags: brooke burke, cover girl, DVD, giveaway, Workout DVD
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January DVD Review: Sexy Abs with Kelly Rowland & Jeanette Jenkins
Whittle your waistline with Jenkins and her client, Rowland. (Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Trainer)
January’s Top Workout DVD: Sexy Abs with Kelly Rowland & Jeanette Jenkins
Best for: Those thinking ahead about (and seeking amazing abs in) their spring break bikinis; anyone with aches and pains in their lower back.
Why it’s a star: Celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins and her crew, including Kelly Rowland, Grammy winning R&B singer and judge on The X Factor in the UK, teach you fun and challenging exercises that will leave your ab muscles burning. You’ve seen some of these moves before (bicycle crunches, roll-ups and planks), but the nonstop pace, focus on lower back pain-prevention and the sprinkling of innovative exercises makes this DVD worth an encore in your sweat schedule. You’ll feel the burn throughout your core the next day!
Bonus: You can join the #SexyAbsChallenge on Twitter with @KELLYROWLAND and @JeanetteJenkins now for five weeks of healthy tips, meals and motivation as Kelly gets ready for the Grammy Awards in February. She’s nominated for her song “Motivation!”
Where to get it: $19.95, thehollywoodtrainer.com
More from FITNESS: Look like Brooke—our January cover girl—with this total-body strength routine!
Categories: Celebrity, Fitness, Motivation, Workouts | Tags: at home exercise, Review, Sexy Abs with Kelly Rowland & Jeanette Jenkins, Strength Training, Workout DVD
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Websites That Offer Free (or Dirt Cheap) Yoga Classes
You're just one click away from finding your Zen. (Photo courtesy of Chris Fanning)
Yoga may be blissful, but it isn’t cheap! Depending on where you live, classes can run you an average of $15 to $20 a pop. Dropping $50 or more for yoga classes each week isn’t an option for everyone, but we can all benefit from a regular practice. The internet is bursting with free full-length classes or shortened yoga routines. If you’re willing to pay a little, you’ll be able to view a greater variety of videos. Here are some sites to check out.
- Yoga Today: This site offers one free class each week, and if you’re itching for more, download other classes for $3.99 each. If you’re really into it, pay $89.95 for a yearly membership, which includes unlimited classes. Store them on your computer and follow along anywhere you happen to be.
- Yoga Journal: For beginners and advanced yogis, these videos, ranging in length from five to 35 minutes, are the high quality you’d expect from Yoga Journal. Some of my faves include hip opening sequence Bird by Bird and Heart Wide Open full of chest openers.
- My Yoga Online: These videos may not be free, but they’re dirt cheap. Pay $9.95 per month or $69.95 for a year, for unlimited access to the entire library. The site also offers popular yoga DVDs such as Body by Bethany and Transform Yourself With Jivamukti. Another plus, you can sample a clip before you buy.
- My Free Yoga: Site members upload yoga videos, so the classes may not be the most cutting-edge, but they won’t cost you a dime.
- Gaiam TV: Sign up for a free 10-day trial to stream actual yoga DVDs like Seane Corn’s Vinyasa Flow Yoga or Rodney Yee’s Advanced Arms directly to your computer, phone (there’s a free Gaiam TV app), or iPad. If you like the service, it costs $9.95 a month.
Keep reading for more inexpensive ways to get your yoga on.
More from FitSugar:
6 Reasons For Winter Weight Gain . . . and How to Avoid It
5 Secrets For Getting Flat Abs
How Hollywood’s Fittest Female Celebs Get and Stay in Shape
Categories: Fitness, Workouts | Tags: Fitness, workout, Workout DVD, yoga exercises, yoga workouts
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Q&A: How Much Weight Should I Lift During Strength Training?
Photo courtesy of SparkPeople
SparkPeople.com’s resident trainer and fitness expert, Nicole Nichols, offers up some advice for one of the most frequently asked questions as people start working out more in the new year. For more cardio and strengthening help from Nicole, check out her new DVD, 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole.
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Question: How much weight should I lift during strength training?
Answer: We are all at different strength levels and the muscles throughout your body vary in strength, too. So while 10 pounds might be the ideal weight for you to lift during biceps curls, you could struggle with that weight during lateral raises…or leg press it all day as if it were a bag of feathers. So keep in mind that the amount of weight you lift during one exercise could be too light or too heavy for another. That said, you’ll probably need to experiment with a variety of weights to find the appropriate level for each exercise you do. Working out at a gym makes that easy, but doing so at home will take a little more space and investment.
I think it’s a good idea to have at least two, and ideally three sets of dumbbells at home: a light, medium and heavier set, which is defined by your own fitness level. That could be 2, 5, and 7 pounds for one person, or 5, 10 and 15 pounds for another. Personally, I keep 6, 10 and 20 pound weights at home, which allow me to do a variety of workouts and exercises safely and effectively.
So how much should you lift? Here are the 5 guidelines you need to follow to select the proper weight for strength training.
- Aim low. The safest and most effective thing to do if you are a beginner is to master your exercises with little to no added weight. This allows you to focus intensely on proper form.
- Go slow. If you have to move at jackrabbit speed or harness momentum to lift the weight, it is too heavy. Period. The proper weight will allow you to move in a slow, controlled manner.
- Never sacrifice form for function. You might want to fast track your results by picking a heavy weight, but lifting more weight should never trump doing it correctly. If you can’t do the exercise properly, then the added weight is not doing you any favors and may actually increase your risk for serious injury.
- Count your reps. In general, you are lifting the right amount of weight when you can perform 8-15 repetitions in excellent form. Once you get strong enough to do more than 15 repetitions more easily, it’s probably time to increase the weight again.
- Work to fatigue. This is the #1 key to selecting the proper weight. The weight you lift should not only meet the guidelines for form above, but should also challenge your muscles! The only way strength training is really going to benefit you is for you to overload your muscles—that means working them to fatigue. The weight you select should be challenging enough to fatigue your muscles within 8-15 repetitions.
More from SparkPeople
- 31 Real-World Tips to Reach Your Resolution
- 8 Fitness Trends and Predictions for 2012
- Get a Free Personalized Weight Loss Plan
Categories: Fitness, Motivation, Workouts | Tags: DVDs, nicole nichols, spark, sparkpeople, Strength Training, Workout DVD
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December DVD Review: Kristi Yamaguchi’s Power Workout
Train like an Olympian. (Photo courtesy of Amazon.com)
December’s Top Workout DVD: Kristi Yamaguchi’s Power Workout
Best for: Those with short attention spans—who are ready to sweat!
Why it’s a star: Olympian and former Dancing With the Stars champion Yamaguchi leads you through a plyometrics-heavy cardio and total body-focused strength routine that packs a lot of action into 53 minutes. You’ll start off with a warm-up reminiscent of the ’80s workout tapes on VHS, but don’t be fooled. Yamaguchi and her trainer, Erin O’Brien quickly pick up the pace by alternating cardio segments full of jumping lunges, high knees and rotating jumping squats with muscle-building moves like overhead triceps extensions with plie squats. Time flies, as each circuit is less than 10 minutes and offers a solid workout for both your heart and muscles!
Where to get it: $12.99, amazon.com
More from FITNESS: Need a soundtrack? Try Kristi Yamaguchi’s workout playlist.
Categories: Fitness, Motivation, The Fit Stop, Workouts | Tags: at home exercise, Dancing With the Stars, kristi yamaguchi, Olympics, Workout DVD
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October DVD Review: Tonique Mat
This workout is part Pilates, part old school aerobic toning moves. (Image courtesy of ToniqueFitness.com)
October’s Top Workout DVD: Tonique Mat
Best for: Those with limited home gym equipment looking for an effective strength routine.
Why it’s a star: All you need for this terrific toning workout is a mat (and the ability to tolerate a little bit of muscle burning)! Trainer Sylwia Weisenberg, who also created the Express workout in our October issue, leads you through an hour of core, butt, hip and thigh strengtheners on your back, side and knees. Sounds simple, right? Well stacking up moves like a side leg lift with a saddlebag slimmer (see how to do it here) makes for an effective and challenging workout—we were shaking—even without dumbbells.
Where to get it: toniquefitness.com, $18.95
More from FITNESS: Our Best Yoga and Pilates Exercise Videos
Categories: Fitness, The Fit Stop, Workouts | Tags: at home exercise, Strength Training, Tonique Mat, Workout DVD
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